Button-hole sewing-machine



9 sheetssheen A1.

(lIIIodel.)

J. W.. LUPKN.

BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE.

Patent'edMar. 2, 1886.

IIII III II I NA PETERS. Photu-Llhcgmpher, Wnahingun, D4 CV 9 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Model.)

J. W. LUFKIN.

BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE.

N0. 337,273. Patented Mar; 2, 1886.

N, PETERS. Phnm-Lilnognphe (Model.) 9 Sheets-Sheet 3.`

J. W. LUFKIN.

BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 337,273. Patented Mar. 2, 1886.

WITNEE 5 NTE||='\' M @m17 E f.

N. Firms, mwumampher. wnmngm, D4 c.

(Model.)

lNaoefntad Mar. 2, 1886.

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(Model.)

9 Sheets-Sheet 5. A

J. W. LUFKIN.

BUTTON EoLE SEWING MACHINE.

lw Patented Mar. 2, 1886.

(Montel.)A 9 Sheets-Sheet 6.

J. W.VLUPKI1\I.A BUTTON EoLE SEWING- MACHINE.

No. 337,278. Patented Mar. 2, 1886.

N. PUERS, Fhoto-Lkhvgrxpher. Wallington. DJI.

(Model.) 9 Sheets-Sheet 7.

J. W. LUFKIN.

BUTTON EoLE SEWING MACHINE. N o. 337,273. l Patented Mer. 2, 1886.

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(Model.) 9 sheets-*sheen s. J. W. LUFKIN.

BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE.

No'. 337,273. y Patented Mar. 2, 1886.

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N. PETERS, Fhnmumagmplxer. washingxm D C STATES UN ITE JOHLT YV. LUFKIN, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUTTON-HOLE SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337.273, dated March 2, 1886.

Application filed November 17, 1884. Serial No. 148,100.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LUFKIN, of Chelsea, in the county of Suiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Button-Hole Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention in button-hole sewing-machines is an improvement on that class of machines represented in United States Patents Nos. 49,627, 115,857, 123,348, and 242,462, to which reference may be had.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a button-hole sewing-machine embodying my invention, a portion of the table being represented as broken out. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, also with a portion of the table represented as broken out. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine, taken on line w, Fig. 5. Fig. 4. is a plan of the under side. Fig. 5 is an end elevation, with a portion of the table and head represented as broken out. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section or detail on line fr, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section on line y, Figs.1 and 3. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail on line z, Fig. 9. Fig. S is aside view of the link P detached. Fig. 9 is a detail front elevation of a portion of the feed mechanism beneath the table. Fig. 10 is an enlarged section of the button, taken on line e, Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a plan of the under side of the center plate, 8. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the bed-plate 9 with the clamp and clampplate in position. Fig. 13 is a plan of the bedplate with the clamp and clampplate removed. Fig. 14 is a plan of the bed-plate with the clamp, Clampplate, and center plate removed. Fig. 15 is an enlarged section of a portion of the gear feed-wheel, taken on line w, Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is an enlarged section of a portion of the said feed-wheel, taken on-line u, Fig. 14.. Fig. 17 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the table, showing certain of the parts below the same in elevation. Fig. 18 is a plan view of the under side, showing the same parts as in the preceding gure.

A is the table or frame, a its supports, and A the overhanging arm, constructed substan- I tially as usual.

B is the driving-shaft having bearings in (Model.)

the hangers B and B, said shaft being provided with the fast and loose pulleys b and b', and having xed thereupon the gear-wheel B, which engages the gear-wheel C, fixed on the shaft C, said shaft having its bearings in the hangers B and C', and being provided with the cam-wheel c. The wheel C is geared to rotate at one-half the speed of the wheel B, thus imparting a similar relative speed to the cam o.

D is a rocker-shaft (see Fig. 2) having its bearings at D', at the rear side of the arm A. To one end of this shaft D is rigidly secured a crank, d, to which is pivoted the connectingrod d,whose lower end, d, embraces an eccentric, d, on the shaft B, said eccentric being made broad enough to allow of a certain amount of side-play of the strap d thereupon. x E is a lever slotted at E', and pivoted adjustably at El to the arm. The lower end of this lever lies in the groove c in the camwheel c, said groove being of theshape shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the upper end lies between the collars E, Fig. 2, adjustably secured to the shaft D. Thus it will be seen that with each rotation of the cam-wheelcthe rockershaft D is pushed forward and back longitudinally by the lever E, and the strap d is correspondingly moved sidewise on the eccentric d. This longitudinal movement of the shaft D may be increased or diminished by lowering or raising the adj ustablepivot E.

A is the swinging head, pivoted at a', Fig. 7, to the stationary head A at the end of the overhanging arm. The needle bar e, which passes through the swinging head, is held by the carrier F, ilattened on its sides, Figs. 5 and 7, pivoted to a link, Fm, which is pivoted to the bifurcated arm F, rigidly secured at its rear end to the shaft D. Rigidly secured to this same shaft is an arm, f, (see Fig. 3,) to which is Aiixed a U-shaped spring, f. (See Fig. 5.) This spring, when the arm fis swung down by the shaft D, bears upon'and presses slightly downward the take-up lever G, so as to hold it while the needle is making a loop.

From the end of the shaft D extends the bent arm D.

H is the cutter-lever, (see Figs. 2, 5, and 6,) pivoted at H to the bracket g, extending from the rear portion of the stationary head A. Vith each complete rotation of the cam-wheel IOO c, and as the shaft D is retracted in its longitudinal reciprocating motion, and with each second downward movement of the bent arm D", the said bent arm presses down the cutter-lever H against the spring H", (which holds it normally up, as shown in Fig. 5,) and makes an incision in the material in which the button-hole is being sewed, so as to make room for another pair of stitches. The machinery is so arranged and timed that the cuttinglever will follow the needle down with every second downward movement of the latter, the arm D" operating upon the cutting-lever every second time it descends. This, of course, is due to the fact that the gear-wheel G" rotates onehalf as fast as the gear-wheel B'", as above explained. Thus it will be seen that the button-hole is not all cut at one operation, but is cut a little at a time, as it is needed by the needle, the cutter keeping pace with the needle in making and stitching the button-hole.

Rigidly secured to the shaft C, which, it will be remembered, is driven at onehalf the speed of the driving-shaft B, is the canrwheel l, provided with the groove 1", intowhich eX- tends the lower end of the looper-lever l', pivoted at t' to the bracket i', secured to the under side of the table, said looperlever carryingy the loopers i", of unequal lengths, curved ,so as to pass up under the button-chamberK',

(see Fig. 10,) and each separately fast in the` looper-lever, said loopers having the usual figures, and the lowerend of the bent spread` er-lever J (see Fig. 7) is held against it.by the spring J", said spreader-lever being pivoted at j', Fig. 3, to the bracket J By being thus horizontally pivoted the spreader j carried by the spreader-lever is enabled to be reciprocated in thearc of a circle and move up into the recess or chamber K' in the button K, Figs. 4 and 10, thus allowing of a very short and correspondingly stiff needle.

L is ashaft havingits bearings in the hang ers L' and L". (See Figs. 1, 3, 17, and 18.) Fixed on this shaft is the bevel-gear Z, which engages the bevel-gear on the cam-wheel M, said cam'wheel (see Fig. 4) being arranged to rotate once with every four rotations of the wheel Z. Also fixed to said shaft are the ratchet-wheel N and the bevel-gear feed wheel O. l

P (see Fig. 4) is an eccentric fixed on the shaft C, the strap P', embracing such eccentric, being pivotally connected with the link P", loose on the shaft L, said link being provided With a lug or segment of a hub, P'", adapted to engage and lift, by means of a lug or segment of a hub, N'", the lever N', also loose on the shaft L, and provided with a paWl, N", held by the spring N'" against the teeth on the wheel N.

n' (see Figs. 2 and 8) is a projection rigidly secured to the lever N', and forming a lift the effect ofwhich is below described.

The operation of this feeding mechanism is as follows: The shaft L has intermittent rotary motion imparted to it by the eccentric P, which, through the strap P', link P", lever N', and pawl N", imparts such motion to the ratchet-wheel N. The amount of the motion imparted to said ratchet-wheel depends on the number of teeth which thepawl slips ,over` just before it engages said wheel, and the number of teeth which it slips over Vdepends on whether the lifting projection n' finds its seat when it is pulled back by the spring n on the cam-lever m direct or on one of the steps m or m". ,l

It will be perceived by examining the draw-` ings that when the cam-lever m is sliding in` one of the portions M' of the cam-groove the said lever is in such a position that the lifting projection n will find its seat on the highest stcp,m', (see Fig.8,) thus of course reducing the motion of. the ratchet-wheel, and hence the feed. When the camlever lies in the portion M" of the groove, theliftingleverfindsits seat on the step m", and hence a little more motion is given to the ratchet-wheel, and when the cam-lever isin the portion M'" of the groove the lifting projection a' finds its seat on the cam leverm direct, thus causing the pawl to slip back over more teeth, and hence of course giving more motion to the ratchet-wheel when said pawl engages it. The reason Why these differentmotions are desirable is, that when the camlever is in the. portions M' of the groove the needleis stitching the sides ofthe button hole, and hence the feeding mechanism mustbe atits slowest movement. `When the cam-leveris in the portion M" of the groove,thc needle is stitching around the large end or eye of the buttonhole, and hence the feed must be more rapid; and when the cam-lever is in the portion M'" of the groove the needle is stitching the tail or small end of the button-hole,and hencethe feed must be very rapid; and it will be observed IOO IIO

from the shape of thegroove in the cam that S is a lever of substantially the shape shown, pivoted at S' to the under side of the table, `and provided with the spring S", adapted to bear that end of the lever vdown behind the Ycam-wheel M, so as to come in contact with a pin, S, projecting upward behind said camwheel. This pin is so placed that when the stitching of the button-hole is finished, the nishing-point being at the small endthereof, the said pin will strike the lever S, and, pass ing under it,will cause it to move on its pivot away from the opening r, (see Fig. 4.) so as to allow the extension R, which bears normally on the upper surface of said lever S, (see Fig. 1,) to drop by said lever, and thus cause the spring r (see Figs. 1 and 3) to pull the shipping-lever R so as to ship the driving-belt from the fast pulley b to the loose pulley b', thus stopping the machine until the operator can move the material along so as to bring the neXt button lole in position, when the shipping-lever is pulled against the spring r' by the operator, thus drawing the extension R up into the opening?1 and allowing the lever S to slip under it by the power of the spring S, starting the machine.

T is the bevel-gear feed wheel engaged by the bevel gear wheel O, so as to run at onehalf the speed of the same, and provided with the groove T. (See Fig. 14.) This wheel lies in the bed 1 around the [lange 2, extending upward from said bed. The wheel T is further provided with the followers T and T, the former being hinged at 3 and adapted to move vin and out of the recess 4 in the groove T, and in and out of the recess 5in the outside of the flange 2,l (see Figs. 14 and 15,) and the latter, which is placed at the peak of the heart, being adapted to slide in and out of the groove T and in and out of the recess 6 in said groove T and the recess 7 in said flange. (See Figs. 14 and 16.)

8 (see Figs. 11 and 13) is the center plate,

secured to the ange 2, (see Figs. 3 and 14,)

and provided with the button K, (see Fig. 10,) constructed as above described, and 9 (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3) is the bed-plate, secured to the table A. On opposite edges of the center plate,8,are the shoulders 10, (see Figs. 1l and 13,) and on opposite inner edges of the bedplate 9 are corresponding shoulders, 11.

12 is the clamp, constructed substantially as usual and rigidly secured to the clamp-plate 13, and 14 (sce Fig. 12) is the spring-clamp pin extending down into the heart-shaped groove T', and being held therein bya suitable spring.

15 is the clamp-arm extension, constructed substantially as usual, and 16 is a lever pivoted at 17 to the bed-plate and held by the spring 18 against the clamp-plate 13. As the feed-wheel T rotates,it slips under the clamppin 14, which lies in the groove T. This clamp-pin, and hence, also, the clamp and clamp-plate, is given the suitable reciprocating motion necessary to move the buttonhole back and forth, in order to stitch the sides by the heart-shaped groove in which it lies, and it is enabled to turn, so as to allow the needle t0 stitch around the two ends of the buttonhole, by means of the followers T and T. The follower T carries the .clamp-pin onehalf around -the groove, while the needle stitches around the eye or large end of the button-hole, when said follower is forced backY by the pin into the recess 5 in the ange 2, and the pin slips by and travels between the edges 10 and 11 of the center plate and bedplate, to allow the needle to stitch one side of the button-hole. Then the follower T catches the pin 14 and carriesit half round the groove, while the needle is stitching the tail or small end of the button-hole, when the said follower is forced back by the pin into the recess 7 in the liange 2, and the pin slips by and travels in the groove between the opposite edges, 10 and 11, to allow the needle to stitch the other side of the button-hole.

In order that the table and machine may be tipped back without throwing the belt off the pulleys b and '19', I hinge it at each end (see am) upon its supports c on a line with a shaft upon which said pulleys are placed.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The needle-bar carrier F", link F, and bifurcated arm F, the latter rigidly secured to the shaft D, and the rocker-shaft D, provided with the collars E, in combination with the lever E, adjustably pivoted at E" to the arm, the cam-wheel c, and the crank d, connectingrod d', and eccentric d, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The needle-bar carrier-arm F, bifurcated or made in two parts, as shown, and provided with the needle-bar carrier and link F, said two parts of the needle-bar carrierarrn extending, one on each side of the needle-bar, for communicating the desired sidewise mo tion to the latter, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The take-up lever G, pivoted to the sta tionary head A, and provided with the spring G and the arm j', rigidly secured to` the shaft D, and provided with the springf, for nipping the take-up lever, in combination with the rocker-shaft D and means for imparting to thesamelongitudinal reciprocating and oscillatory motion, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the bent cutterdever H, pivotally secured to the stationary head A, andthe shaft D, having oscillatory and longitudinally-reciprocating motion, and provided wirh a bent arm, D", adapted to press down the cutter-lever with each second downward movement ofthe same, aud said cutterlever being of shape to cut a small portion only of the button-hole at a time, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The cutter-lever H,'pivoted to the bracket g and provided with the spring H, the stationary head A, the rockershaft D, provided with the bent arm D, and collars E, in combination with the lever E, pivoted to the overhanging arm, the cam-wheelc, and gear-wheel IOO IIO

c", the driving-shaft B, provided with the] to which are rigidly secured the carrier-arm F, the reciprocating eye-pointed needle, and the loopers and their operating mechanisms, and means for imparting to said shaft oscillatory and longitudinally-reciprocating motion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of the overhanging arm A', stationary head A', the swinging head A", guiding the needle-bar, and the shaft D, to which are `rigidly secured the carrier-arm F and arm f, the take-up lever G, the springf', the reciprocating eye-pointed needle, and the loopers and their operating mechanisms, and means for imparting to said shaft oscillatory and longitudinally-reciprocating motion, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination of the reciprocating eye-pointed needle,the looper-lever I', pivoted to the bracket t', the spreader-lever J', pivoted to the bracket J and provided with the spring J", and the shalt C, provided with the cams I and J, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination of the shaft C, provided with the eccentric P and strap P', the link P", loose on the shaft L, the lever N', also loose on said shaft, the'pawl N", and the ratchet-wheel N and bevel gear-wheelsOand Z, said ratchetwheel and bevel gearwheels being rigidly secured to said shaft, the said bevel gearwheel O engaging the feed-wheel T, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The cam gear-wheel M, engaged by the bevel gear-wheel l on the shaft L and provided with the described groove, said groove consisting of four port-ions, M', M", M', and M'", combined with suitable connections, whereby varying speed is imparted to the feeding mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose described.

1'1. The combination of the cam gear-wheel `M, provided with the groove M', M", M,andM"',

the gear-wheel Z,Xed on the shaft L, said shaft being provided with the ratchet-wheel N, the lever N', provided with the pawl N" and lug N, and operated by the lug P' on the link P" and lifting projection n', and thelever m,engaged by the cam and provided with the steps m' and on", substantially as and for the purpose set forth'.

12. The combination of the shaft C, provided with the eccentric P and strap P', the shaft L, to which are xed the gear-wheels O and Z and the ratchet-wheel N, and on which `are loose the link P" and lever N', said link` and lever being provided, respectively, with the lugs P' and N', and the latter lever provided with the lift n', the lever fm, provided with the steps m' m", and the cam gear-wheel M, substantially as and for the purpose described. v

13. The combination, with the cloth-clamp operating and stitching mechanism, ofthe cam gear-wheel M, provided with the pin S'f', the lever S, the shipping lever R, provided with the extension R, and the fast and loose pulleys b and b', substantially as and for the purpose set fort i 14. The gear feed-wheel T, provided with the groove T', and bed 1, provided with the iange 2,recessed at '7, in combination with the follower T'", adapted to slide in and out of said groove, and the cloth-clamp, substantially as and for the purpose described.4

l5. The gear feed-wheel T,provided with the groove T', and bed` 1, provided with `the flange 2, recessed at 5, in combination with thevfollower T", adapted to swing in and out of said groove, and the cloth -clarnp, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

16. The combination of the gear feed-wheel T, provided with the groove T', recessed at 4 and 6, the bed 1, provided with the fian'ge 2, recessed at 5 and 7, the followers-T" and T', adapted to move in and out of saidgroove, the pin 14, and the cloth-clamp, substantially as and for the purpose described.

17. The combination of the cloth-clamp, the center plate, 8, having the shoulders 10, the bed-plate, 9, having the corresponding shoulders, 11, and the feed-wheel T, provided with the groove T', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

18. The combination, with the clamp 12, provided withl the pin 14, andthe clampplate 13, of the bed-plate 9, provided with the shoulders 11, the center plate provided i with the shoulders l0, feed-wheel T, provided with the recessed groove T' and followers T" ICO IIO

T", and the recessed flange 2, substantially..

as and for the purpose described. i

19. The combination of the fast and loose pulleys b b', the shipping mechanism operated by the pin S'", the cam-wheel M, and feeding mechanism,and the feed-wheel T', and mechanism for imparting motion to the clamp, all timed and constructed to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

20. The combination of the driving-shaft B, provided with the gear-wheel B"',the shaft C, provided with the gear-wheel G",the eccentric P, and cams I J, for giving desired movement to the looper and spreader levers, the shaft L,` provided with the gear-wheel O and feeding mechanism, and the feed-Wheel T, timed i 

